To Sweden With Love

"To Sweden With Love" is a captivating jazz album by The Art Farmer Quartet, recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, in April 1964. This 32-minute gem is a unique blend of hard bop, cool jazz, and bebop, featuring the exceptional talents of Art Farmer on flugelhorn, Jim Hall on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Pete LaRoca on drums. The album showcases six beautifully arranged tracks, each a Swedish folk tune reimagined through the lens of jazz. From the playful "Va da Du? (Was It You?)" to the evocative "Och Hor Du Unga Dora (And Listen Young Dora)," each song is a testament to the quartet's musical prowess and their ability to infuse traditional melodies with a modern jazz sensibility. The album's standout feature is the interplay between Farmer's warm, lyrical flugelhorn and Hall's delicate, nuanced guitar work. "To Sweden With Love" is a delightful exploration of cultural fusion, offering a fresh perspective on both jazz and Swedish folk music.